


Kiss Kiss

by RavenclaWriteRules (sapphirejubilee), sapphirejubilee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Turned Into a Ghost, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Flirting, Forgiveness, Ghost Sex, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Pining Draco Malfoy, Red String of Fate, Secret Crush, Soulmates, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2020-10-17 22:49:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20628833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirejubilee/pseuds/RavenclaWriteRules, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirejubilee/pseuds/sapphirejubilee
Summary: UPDATES FRIDAYS/SATURDAYS/SUNDAYSA failed suicide attempt lands Harry with a non-corporeal Draco Malfoy who has no idea what his name is, or anything else really, except that he really, REALLY wants him and will not stop flirting with him until he gets it.And, it appears they're also soulmates, according to Luna's weird magic thread.Oops?





	1. The Midnight Visitor on Bended Knee

Harry yawned and rolled over onto his back. Finally, Grimmauld Place was quiet.

"Harry!"

Scratch that. Quickly, he sat up in bed. Hermione and Ron were peeking through the doorway. Usually they promised nto to make any sudden sounds that would startle him, but now their faces looked anxious.

"What's going on?" Harry stood up, rushing over. "Are we under attack?" he asked, trying to be quiet.

Hermione shook her head. "No," she replied, "but...Neville and Hannah said they saw someone behind them as they were coming back, and they're not sure whether they might have accidentally let them into the Fidelius Charm."

Harry shook his head and groaned. He wanted to move. He would. He wasn't attached to Phineas Nigellus' portrait, or the ugly old tapestry with Draco's face on it, but...

"What about Luna and Ginny?" he asked urgently.

"They're in the kitchen, setting traps just in case," Hermione murmured. "I wanted to help, but they told me that Ron and I should be the ones to tell you."

"I am the master of this house. Why was I not alerted of this earlier?" Harry mumbled.

"Sorry," Ron mouthed. "Let's just go and see what we can do."

Just then, a loud crack of thunder sounded, as well as Ginny and Luna crying out. Harry screamed and made a mad dash for the front of the house, hollering "_Ginny! Luna!_ ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" He could hear Hermione's "Oh god, oh god-" and Ron's "Bloodyfuckshit" over their footsteps, and he immediately fired _Protego _and _Stupefy!_

"Harry - wait, wait!" Neville's face appeared as he opened the door.

Harry skidded to a stop. Hermione and Ron bumped into him. "Answer me! What was the password you never forgot?"

"Mimbulus mimbletonia," Neville replied, and Hannah's curly golden head appeared next to him. "Listen, calm down, it was just a-"

"STUPEFY!" Harry cried out, pointing his wand at the dark figure that crept up behind them. Hannah cried out and whoever it was ducked, and cast a Shield Charm.

"Wait, Harry, that's actually-"

A million things ran through Harry's mind now. A way to send the Death Eater, whoever it was (for surely, it was, he could hear the alarm spell that corresponded to Dark Marks ringing in his ears) as far away as possible, to Obliviate him into forgetting he had even seen Neville and Hannah's faces in the first place, and a protective spell that would save Ron and Hermione. Hell, even _Sectumsempra_ almost occurred to him.

But the command "stop" had no place when he was in autopilot mode.

"Harry, put your wand down, I swear it's fine!" Neville grabbed his brown arm and pulled him back. With a yelp, Harry shoved him off and took a step, pointing his wand at the Death Eater's throat and hissing "_You'll regret setting foot in my home_."

"Already do," a weary voice replied, and tired gray eyes bored into his own, almost asking for it. "This is what I get for visiting a relative's place."

Draco Malfoy.

Harry backed away two steps and fell down, too flabbergasted to say anything.

"Here," Draco looked at him with a dead look in his eyes. "Go ahead and curse me. You still have my wand. I'm not going to do anything." He held out his hands, just to show him. "I don't blame you after what my family and I have done. Go ahead, I won't be mad."

Just then he felt a hand softly patting him on the shoulder, and another one on the other side.

"There, there," Luna spoke soothingly, "we're sorry, we didn't mean to scare you when we yelled...we thought it was a real threat, too..."

"Yeah," Ginny muttered, "considering the fact we caught a former _Death Eater_." From the tone in her voice, Harry wasn't the only suspicious one.

Draco said nothing and stood in the doorway.

"He can only come in if you say he can," Neville spoke.

"Why would I let him in?" Harry demanded.

"Well, if you don't, I really wouldn't be surprised or disappointed," Draco replied tiredly. "But if you want, I'll swear an Unbreakable Oath to not touch a hair on anyone's heads. I'll shut up. I won't say anymore shit. Hell, I'd be grateful to just sit down and not do anything. But after what you've had to go through thanks to me, you have the absolute right to just stick me in your rubbish bin and say nothing."

Harry turned towards Ginny. She shook her head. She wasn't buying it.

Hermione furrowed her brow. She had a kind and forgiving heart, Harry knew, but she wasn't necessarily enamored with the idea.

Ron looked wearily from his sister to his girlfriend, then squinted at Draco and shook his head. Absolutely no idea how to respond.

"Look, maybe we could just give him something to eat and then send him on his way," Hannah suggested. Harry looked wearily at Neville, the boy who had been Body-Bound, then bullied and thrown around by Draco for several years. Why wasn't he more bitter about this? Bellatrix was Draco's aunt, too.

"Harry, you do what you feel is right," Neville spoke. Harry squinted at him. He had no idea what Neville's motivations or feelings on this were.

"Yes, do that," Hannah nodded fervently.

"We can return the hospitality from that one time his family accommodated us at the Manor," Luna remarked. Although she never seemed to betray utter anger, bitterness, fear, or hatred, the fact that she could say something like that so casually was somewhat disturbing. Luna Lovegood did have emotions, but she didn't necessarily spell them out loud when she felt resentment or dislike.

Harry stared into the blond man's eyes. Draco stared back, without the aggressiveness or superiority he once embodied. Whoever this person was, he had lost all delusions of grandeur and been brought down to reality harshly.

"First check that nobody is with him."

Ron silently obeyed. Nobody.

Harry stared more intently. "I want you to apologize."

Draco did not laugh. "For what?" he asked, with a tone that implied he really could not think of where to start.

"Everything you've done to my friends," Harry replied.

Draco looked down. For a second, Harry thought he wasn't going to comply, and gripped his wand ready to expel him far away. But he did look up.

"Granger," he muttered, "I will not seek to excuse my horrible behavior towards you for eight years. I cannot make up for the time that I spent belittling you and your friends, and treating you as less than human. I was wrong, and you deserve better than to get shit from assholes like me for being different."

Hermione said nothing, but Ron slowly put his arm around her and she leaned into his touch. He quietly rested his cheek against her bushy dark hair, holding her brown hand, and narrowed his eyes at Draco.

"Weasley," Draco swallowed hard. "I have been nothing but rude and a prat to you since the moment we first met. I could have tried to end our families' frayed relations, and I only made things worst. I have...tried to betray your friends and constantly harassed you, just because I was born into undeserved luxury and you were not. You have every right to dislike me and distance yourself from me."

"And Ginny?" Luna asked, her voice cool but rather firm.

Draco furrowed his brow, looking pained. "I forgot to mention. To both of you. I am sorry about your brother."

Ron and Ginny looked at each other, their eyes blank.

"There is nothing I can do to make up for the bright person he was to both of you. But..."

"That's enough, Malfoy," Ron muttered. Ginny closed her eyes and gripped her wand a little more tightly. Luna's cool white hand brushed gently against hers, and she took a step closer to her.

"Lovegood," Draco mumbled, his voice sounding hoarse, "I...you...you must have had a horrible time at my parents' home."

"Wherever there are jitterflies, things cannot grow too unpleasant," Luna replied coolly, though she neither seemed to forgive him nor condemn him. Draco winced. A more clear verdict would have been preferable.

"And my parents...?"

Neville's voice came out as a surprise to the rest. Harry glanced at him and could see his cheeks were red, a tear leaking out of one eye.

"I..." Draco swallowed once, twice, three times. "Your parents deserved better. They were brave people, so I heard...you too, you are just like them...you've stood up to stuff that I gave into immediately," he mumbled. "Stuff I never would have faced, hell..."

Neville cracked a broken grin. "Yeah, I guess your Body Bind curse prepared me for breaking Voldemort's," he muttered. Hannah stared, her mouth agape, but Neville refused to back down from the name of the man who threatened to give him death and was now proven a mortal. More tears continued to leak out of his eyes. He was not entirely fine with this, Harry could see, he had not been fine for several days...months...years...who knew. But maybe this small string he was tugging at, with one end tied to him and the other to Malfoy, maybe some good could come out of the stupid thing. Harry stared at the two men's faces. Perhaps Neville hoped for something. Some kind of closure. That forgiving Malfoy would make things better, would be a step above the dark waters, might give new strength and another side to life. Hannah clung onto him and buried her face in his chest and he smiled brokenly a little wider, opening his arms a little wider and clinging onto her too.

Unsettled by the silence, Harry waited for Draco to hurry up and finish, only to realize that he was staring intently at him.

"What?" he asked.

Draco looked down before looking at him in the eye again, biting his lips. "Potter..."

"Wait, what?" Harry looked around. Everyone was staring at them expectantly. He shook his head. "No, not me too..."

"Why not?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry shook his head angrily. "Not you...never you," he muttered.

Draco stared blankly at him. "Should I just leave, then? Was that a no?"

"Harry," Hermione pleaded, "Harry..."

"No," Harry shook his head harder, "I refuse! I don't - I can't ever - not after all that," he growled.

Ron looked at him too. "Harry-"

"Bloody hell, you too Ron? Fuck! No, no, I am not! Let him leave, I don't want to hear it - you have _no_ idea-"

"Yes, you're right," Ginny spoke, "what we're trying to say is-"

"I know, I know! I'm not as kind and forgiving as you all, okay? I get it - I'm sorry, but I'm not what you see. I'm not that selfless. Fuck, I just don't want to hear it. It's not going to change anything. It won't fix anything-"

"Harry, you're really not alright, are you," Hermione spoke sadly.

"Mate, please, hear us out-" Ron muttered.

"I know! I know! I'm being a selfish asshole, okay? I get it! I'm not ready. I can't. I won't ever be," Harry yelled. Draco just stood there, not running away, or taking a step back, or trying to pull out a hidden wand and curse them. Just stod there watching, his eyes following each person's moving mouth. "But fuck, I can't just say it's over - after all that happened - I AM NOT OKAY, I CAN NOT JUST DROP THINGS. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN."

"Harry," Hermione was leaving Ron's embrace and walking over to him. He was on his knees, covering his face in his hands, and his hands were hot and wet. Something salty trickled into his mouth and his glasses were blurry again.

"Harry." Firm, cool hands on his back. He looked up. Luna was crouched next to him, her long blonde hair draping over her shoulder. He stared blankly at her pierced ears. There were no funny radishes hanging from them. God, he missed them. Was not even Luna able to do kooky and weird stuff anymore? Was that just a product of their youth?

"You need to take a breath," Luna muttered, and waved a strange-looking dried vegetable in his face. Harry coughed and pushed her hand away. Never mind...now what dark alley did she get _that_ from? Not even Knockturn Alley was that sketchy.

"We're not telling you to do this because we think you're fine and have moved on beyond everything and you have to do this right now."

Harry frowned. "Oh, really?"

Luna waited a second to make sure he wasn't about to say more. "Yeah," she muttered.

Harry blinked.

"We know you're not okay. We can see it. You're not over everything. None of us are. And it's not a comfortable place either - you just want to crawl out of that dark hole and be over with it already, but you can't."

Harry looked down. Draco just stood there, and looked down too.

"But maybe this is that little step that will help you out of the hole. If you want to take it. You don't have to... we understand. But please, Harry...we're worried about you. Talk _with_ us. You haven't been fine for a while but you wouldn't admit it either and this is the most you've told us in days. Please, Harry. Tell us what you really need us to do."

Harry wanted to yell, but he bit his lip and looked up. Luna's eyes were boring into his, unmoving, and Neville was swallowing but standing firm, and Hannah was holding onto him securely like Ron had his hand holding up Hermione's back and Hermione curled her fists expectantly. And Ginny, Ginny stood tall and refused to back away, her eyes and hair alight with flame.

No one was ready.

No one was fine.

No one was over it.

He wasn't the only one.

And Harry looked down. He looked up at Draco, swallowing. Was this really okay? What if he wasn't really ready to say so? But then, when would he be? Maybe just saying so would be the first step to accepting things how they were.

"Do you have anything to say to me, Draco?" Harry asked.

Draco tried to look down at his feet, but faltered.

"I..."

The two men stared at each other for a few silent seconds.

"I'm sorry," Draco sputtered. "For everything."

And then he bent his neck and knelt down. Harry waited.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The rest of the room seemed to hold its breath, but Harry continued to breathe, inhaling deeply and exhaling just as much. He watched as Draco stayed on his knees, his head hanging low, and his back slumped. No sign of movement.

Six seconds.

Seven seconds.

Eight seconds.

Nine seconds.

Ten seconds.

Eleven seconds...

"What the hell," Harry spat. "Let him in. Kreacher will be pleased, I'm sure."

Draco looked up.

"Surprised to see you come begging to me," Harry muttered. "This is the first time I've met you that you weren't acting like a bitter spurned lover."

Draco opened his mouth by reflex, and for a second, he looked as if he wanted to start up another spat. But he didn't. He closed his mouth and looked down.

"I suppose you would know best," he muttered, and bowed a second time.

Ron and Ginny did not miss that, and Harry looked down to avoid making eye contact with their searing side eyes. Draco wrapped his cloak more tightly around himself and took a few steps into the living room. He paused. Then he continued to take another step, and walked past Harry. Harry took a deep breath and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"I'm going to bed now. I'm sorry, but if you get murdered in your sleep, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'll keep an eye out," Ginny spoke fiercely, drawing her wand and cocking her head at Draco, who silently nodded back to show he heard her.

"Thanks Ginny, you're a real treasure."

"Isn't she joining you?" Draco crossed his arms, suddenly revealing his old disgruntled tone. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Draco, please apologize to Ginny again. And besides, I'm the only one in this house who sleeps alone in a cold, solitary bed. Unless you're volunteering to join me and share some warmth."

Draco opened his mouth, clearly indignant, and Ron laughed a sort of dry forced laugh. Ginny, too, stopped glaring momentarily at Draco and instead dropped her jaw because of the Boy-Who-Lived whom she used to idolize so much. Luna had absolutely no reaction, except for crossing her arms and tapping her chin thoughtfully, and Hermione's face showed nothing but confusion. Neville and Hannah looked mildly disturbed but were too polite to say anything either.

"Goodnight," Harry grunted, as he took the steps upstairs.

Before he went to sleep, he would set a few shield charms and traps. And, maybe he'd ask Kreacher to camp out behind the door.

Although his guts still hurt and his stomach felt out of balance, somewhat grief-y and tired and non-closure-y, with grey swirling all about, he might have felt a little better. Maybe it was a placebo effect.

But as he brushed his teeth one last time and smiled in the mirror, he thought of the look on Draco's face and laughed sharply. Oh, _that_ was something to write home about.


	2. Hotcakes

When Harry got up at six, as usual, he walked out bed to make breakfast and yawned sleepily. He had not gotten much sleep, as usual, and so he usually decided to push himself out of bed around six when the light filtered in through the windows.

As he passed a room, however, he heard voices whispering to each other. Unusual.

"D'you think Neville's trying too hard to be nice - I mean, I don't think it's bad that he's trying to forgive Malfoy. I'm just saying, maybe he's putting a little too much on himself...and I mean, you too, he was an awful person to you...are you sure this is okay?"

Harry paused. That was Ron talking.

"I don't know," Hermione's tired voice replied. "I don't regret trying to make peace with him. I just hope Harry didn't really force himself last night...maybe I shouldn't have said that...maybe it's a bit much to offer to let him stay with us."

"Yeah...that's what I'm saying. Are you sure you're fine with that prat staying under the same roof as you, under Harry's hospitality?"

"Ron, I don't know. We know what it's like to be without a home...I wouldn't blame Neville for leaving him out in the cold, but I personally don't want to deal with that right now," Hermione replied tiredly. "I'll find him a place where we can send him to without feeling bad about it, how about that?"

"Can I help?"

"Sure," Hermione sighed.

Harry frowned and rubbed his head. Usually he was the only one awake at this time, except for days when Ginny secretly sneaked into the ktichen to ask Kreacher for a snack or Hermione tried to cook breakfast as a repayment for letting them stay.

And now he remembered Malfoy.

Great. Harry groaned.

"Harry? Are you out there?" Hermione called. "Did you want to talk to us, too?"

Harry sighed. Caught in the act. He opened the door and found them sitting on the edge of a bed.

"Are you feeling okay? Did you just say yes because I was telling you to?' Hermione asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Harry replied sullenly. "I'm tired of fighting with Malfoy, however, and clearly he feels the same way. So if I can cross off one of the names on my "potential enemies from war" list, then I'll be much happier, yes."

"I see...well, you don't have to house him. We'll try to find a different place for him to stay at," Hermione spoke.

"Sounds nice," Harry replied tersely. "Maybe you can give him our old tent."

"Oh," Hermione muttered. "Well, maybe I-"

"I'm joking," Harry replied quietly. "He'd probably come back looking for vengeance."

"I'd hope not," Ron grunted, "that'd mean the whole "new person, new attitude" thing was bull."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, looking around the room absentmindedly. He was staying in the house of the pureblood Black family, a family of notorious Muggleborn-haters. Sirius must have hated this house as much as Privet Drive. But, somehow, he seemed to have made amends with it years later, enough to organize the Order of the Phoenix here.

"Maybe a motel, or some place else," Hermione muttered. "Are you going to give him his wand back?"

Harry sighed. "I might let him stay in my shelter, but I'm not sure whether I should give him his magic back. Just so you know."

"Oh, okay," Hermione replied, but she looked relieved that he had said no. "I'm glad you do have some boundaries set up."

Harry almost laughed mirthlessly, but he didn't want to worry them. "Yeah," he muttered dully, scratching the nape of his neck.

"Probably would do him some good, learning to live without magic like a Squib and earn some respect for Muggles who survive without it," Ron remarked, and Hermione smiled appreciatively, hugging him around the waist.

"Yeah, I guess I'll just put it somewhere safe," Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"How about we make breakfast today, mate?" Ron suggested.

"You? You want to make breakfast?" Harry frowned. "Kreacher and I handle it just fine-"

"It's been a hard morning for everyone," Ron muttered. "Malfoy may have turned his nose down at us Weasleys, but at least he hasn't given me as much bull as he has to you guys. Poor Hannah, too...I mean, he's said some pretty nasty stuff about Hufflepuffs too."

"How kind of you," Hermione murmured, lightly poking him in the stomach. Ron chuckled. "So, can I help you make that breakfast?"

"Sure," Ron replied, looking pleased.

"Then, can I-"

"Oh Harry, why don't you just sit down and watch us try and do you a favor?"

"As you know, I don't sleep," Harry crossed him arms, and Hermione looked sort of guilty. He felt sort of bad. "Well, it's just that I need something to occupy myself and y'know, breakfast works sometimes."

"Alright," Hermione breathed in, "no reason you shouldn't cook with us, then. But please let us handle the troublesome stuff."

"Alright," Harry laughed.

"So," Ron spoke and shoved down a mouthful of hotcakes drenched in treacle syrup, "success?"

"Yes, my hotcakes are only slightly burnt," Hermione remarked, delicately turning hers over with a fork to reveal a telltale brown griddle mark.

"I can eat yours too, if you don't want 'em," Ron replied.

"Yes, you certainly could," Hermione replied, reaching for the jar of honey now that Harry had finished adding some to his tea. She then dripped some lemon juice and sugar onto her plate, and cleared her throat. "What do you think of our teamwork, Harry?"

"Wonderful, as always," Harry tried his best to crack a convincing grin. Hermione rolled her eyes knowingly and Ron brightened. "Would you like some more coffee, Malfoy? You must be rather thirsty," he spoke, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"What?" The sullen blond suddenly looked up and stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "Oh, yes, coffee would be appreciated...Potter," he grunted, not looking up to meet his eye anymore. Harry tried his best to shrug it off and firmly grasped the coffee pot. Malfoy watched the dark liquid pool up in the bottom of the cup and rise until it nearly was spilling out. "That'll do," he spoke brusquely, and Harry obliged.

Ron raised and eyebrow and looked at Hermione, who took a deep breath and looked at Harry.

"Great. I suppose Kreacher will give me a lecture later on not wasting his precious mistress' favorite Dark Kenyan Roast," Harry tried to crack another smile. Malfoy blinked and awkwardly tried to smile back. They must have looked something awful, with the corners of their mouths painfully turned upwards in obviously fake ways.

"Sorry, I spaced out," Malfoy grunted through his gritted teeth. "Is this really..."

"Mrs. Black's? Ah, I don't really know. Just found it in one of the cabinets here and started using it, then Kreacher started giving me the side eye. Or maybe he just doesn't approve of how infrequently I iron my blue shirt. Or maybe he's just trying to hint that I should wear said shirt more often," Harry tried to laugh.

"Ah," Malfoy replied, then bit his lip and grabbed the coffee mug, scooching it closer to him and surping out of it rather loudly. Hermione and Ron raised their eyebrows somewhat disapprovingly while Harry looked around awkwardly. After a few minutes of this, he put it down and muttered thanks, then stood up and walked away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ron called, his voice normal but his face somewhat concerned.

"To the loo," Malfoy replied, "just for a quick...freshening up. That's all."

"I see," Ron replied. "Well, don't take too long and don't use any of the pomade. It's all expired, and it'll dye your hair bright green."

"Noted," Malfoy replied darkly and sulked off.

Harry gulped and turned back around to stare at his friends.

"Pleasant breakfast buddy, alright," Ron grunted sarcastically.

"Wow, and you accuse me of being snappish in the morning?" Hermione crossed her arms.

"Let's just be glad he hasn't called any of us anything insulting," Ron muttered.

Just then, they heard loud traipsing down the stairs, and Ginny appeared, rubbing her eyes and wearing an oversized Holyhead Harpies jersey.

"Hotcakes?" Ginny murmured.

"Ooh, cow patties!" Luna's voice squealed, and she appeared next to Ginny in her airy baby-blue nightgown adorned with cornflower-colored buttons. Quickly enough, the two of them served themselves with plates of hotcakes and rummaged around. Ginny ate hers with a good amount of butter and downed a large cup of black coffee. Luna hummed a little ditty to herself as she poured treacle syrup and fresh berries onto hers, along with a few dollops of clotted cream and jam.

"They don't seem to mind them being a little toasted, huh?" Ron nudged Hermione.

"You mean burnt," Hermione corrected. "Anyways... cow patties?" she stared in disbelief at Luna.

"Mhm," Luna replied coolly. "That's what my mum called 'em."

"I see," Hermione replied, her face an utter picture of disgust. "Luna, do you even know what cow patties..."

"Breakfast ready?" Neville spoke, poking his head around the banister.

"Yes, Neville, do come down," Hermione smiled courteously and gestured at the diminished pile of food. Hannah yawned and reached for the other lemon half, then made several grimaces as she tried to extract some last drops of juice from it.

"These taste a little burnt," Neville frowned as he reached for more sugar.

"Oi, don't be greedy. That's from Smith's Confectionery, and it cost us a pretty pony!" Ron scolded.

"Penny," Hermione stood up and tapped him on the nose as she went to wash the dishes.

"Penny, whatever," Ron crossed his arms. "And besides, it's just nicely toasted, that's all. Toasted."

"Hermione, I can do the dishes," Harry stood up.

"Very well then."

As Harry reached for his wand and muttered a quick spell, Hermione leaned in and muttered "Malfoy's taking a long time in the bathroom, isn't he?"

"I suppose so," Harry replied, trying his best not to repeat last time's enormous soap bubble disaster.

"We should probably go check up on him," she muttered. "Ron may be rubbing off on me, but I don't think he's just primping."

"If you say so," Harry muttered, finishing with a quick Aguamenti and leaving the dishes to dry on their own. Hermione nodded quickly at Ron and he nodded back understandingly, standing up and walking towards them. Ginny caught his eye as he stood up and tagged along, a fire in her eyes. Luna noticed Ginny standing up and brushed her skirt off before joining them.

"Are you guys going somewhere?" Neville asked.

"Just...to check up on Draco," Harry replied.

"Let me come along," Neville made to stand up, too, but Hannah looked weary and as if she would rather stay seated, so he decided to finish breakfast with her.

"It'll be fine," Harry nodded, trying to sound reassuring.

With that, Harry walked up to the bathroom and knocked on the door firmly. "Draco? Are you in there? Just wanted to...uh, ask. I...er, would like to brush my teeth in a bit, if that's cool with you."

"Not urgent enough," Hermione mouthed silently.

"I-I mean, I drank a lot of tea and any chap with a head on his shoulders knows the wonders of caffeine and its effects on a bladder," Harry sputtered. "So if you're not using the loo yourself, I would like too...sooner than later."

No response.

"Draco?" Harry knocked again. Louder. "Draco?" More knocks. More silence.

Harry turned towards them. "Any way we can verify he's just not...too embarrassed to answer back?"

"Only one," Hermione replied, drawing out her wand.

"Wait! Let me try one last time. Draco? If you're in there, please just yell loudly or kick the door or make some noise."

Nothing but utter silence.

"Alohomora!" Hermione hissed.

Gingerly, Harry swung open the door.

The blond man was passed out in fetal position on the floor, even paler than ever and not breathing.

"What do we do? We can't make him swallow a bezoar if he's unconscious," Harry spoke, not sure if he was in shock or used to seeing desperation or too shocked to react properly with shock.

Hermione opened her mouth and no sound came out. Ron's face was a picture of conflicted feelings. Ginny and Luna were entirely unreadable.

"I, I could take him to Saint Mungo's, if they'd let him in. Let's search the rubbish bin for an empty vial."

Harry fumbled around as he spoke, putting his hand on wherever Draco's heart should be and where he should have been breathing out.

"Accio vial! Nope, that's Hermione's moisturizer. Accio! Ah, here it is," he held it up to the light. "Quick, find out what's in here," he waved it in Hermione's face, but she wouldn't make a move, not even to grab it. Strange, he had eaten a hotcake earlier, and yet his stomach felt so empty. "Please, Hermione," it felt almost like when Dobby died. He suddenly had a vision of Dobby in his arms, looking like a sleeping child. How long had it been since he slept?

"Harry," Ron grabbed his shoulders, "are you-"

"I'm fine, fine, just check on him," Harry replied. "I'm just fine." Ron's face blurred and swam with Hermiones, and now everyone's faces were turning into one strange vision. And then he had the impression that he was falling, going into a long dark tunnel as if Apparating, as the oxygen left his lungs and he closed his eyes and collapsed onto Draco's side.


	3. Figments- Chapter 3 has been fixed, sorry!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for telling me! Sorry, I mixed up the chapters while updating. I'm a little sleep-deprived.

The first sensation that brought Harry back into consciousness was something soft being lain carefully on him. He stirred for a few seconds then went back to sleep, though in the back of his dulled mind, something was still bothering him. But he simply rolled over, relishing the softness surrounding him, and let it continue for a while longer. In the back of his mind, he could hear the voices arguing, arguing. The old gray man retorted angrily and, once in a while, would turn towards him and lie his frail hand on Harry as if trying to make sure he would stay there. The hulking, dark man with lanky hair shouted and crossed his arms, and a fairy flitted back and forth, shapeshifting into a nymph and a creature with a lamp...no, a hinkypunk, Lupin had taught him what those were...

"Go away, stop talking," Harry murmured, even though he knew Ron and Hermione weren't really chatting next to him and sitting on top of his bed, but the illusions in his brain kept on going anyways. In Ginny walked, holding a baby with red hair and green eyes...What was that supposed to mean? And Luna was floating, floating in the air next to his bed, rocking another blond baby to sleep, humming softly. Harry rolled over and murmured "Expecto Patronum" wearily, hoping the mere words would conjure a happy memory for him. One of Sirius? No... Too painful. The last time he saw Sirius, brought to him by the Resurrection Stone? It had been closure, sure, but not necessarily joy. He tried harder, thinking of the time Cho said yes to a date, and that afternoon where he sat with Ron and Hermione warming their hands over Hermione's jar of fire, but that seemed so far away and innocent...even if he still had Ron and Hermione, the experience felt outdated, too nostalgic to feel real, and his hand dropped in defeat.

The figments continued on, growing wilder and turning into new shapes. But then the blond man sat down, and started caressing his hair softly and muttering something quiet. And the other ones, Ron and Hermione looked up, and dissolved. Ginny, too, she held her baby closer and covered its face protectively, but Luna just smiled mysteriously...her hair covered in a thin white cloth...and pressed her cool white hands on the blond man's forehead. Then the blond man smiled and continued to stroke Harry's hair gently, not saying a word.

And all the figments and visions went to sleep as Harry drifted into a quiet darkness that stretched onward peacefully, his chest somehow warm.

When he did come to a second time, the figments and visions were gone. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. His legs were too hot - he slowly lifted the coverlet, mourning the loss of its soft embrace, but he felt as if he had slept too long. His room was completely dark, no sunlight filtered in through the window in front of him. He looked around, for some reason, wondering if Draco might be nearby...lying on the floor or at the door, trying to silently slip away.

No. No one. He smiled mirthlessly - yes, it had all been an illusion of his mind.

A faint sting pricked him his arm. Wait. What if Draco was dead, and the figment he had seen...was really a ghost? Or, a premonition of death?

Harry ran over to the door and opened it. The lights were all out - likely, everyone else had gone to sleep. He shook his head frantically and dashed down the dark stairs. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and with a cry of fear, he felt his feet go out from underneath him and fell down. His ankles knocked against the stairs and he landed on his elbows, scraping the skin from them. His hip seared with pain and his wrist now dripped a little blood, but he only wanted to scramble to his feet and fix his glasses and leave.

Sounds of footsteps. Someone turned a light in the kitchen on.

"Harry?" Hermione spoke, her hair wrapped in a scarf. "I thought you were another Death Eater! Are you alright? You really must have bunged up your tibia-"

"It's fine," Harry replied, rubbing the place where a black and blue mottled bruise would form later. "Where's Draco?"

"St. Mungo's," Hermione replied. "You don't have to worry about him anymore, Harry. They'll take good care of him, I made sure of that, and then when he recovers he can go find a new place to stay. Likely, a relative will come for him or they'll find a place."

Harry looked up at her for a second and stopped.

"How was he last you saw him?"

His words were confusing, but Hermione understood.

"They put him in a medically-induced coma."

"A coma?" Harry hissed. "What does that mean?" He turned around, cursing and searching for the glasses he had just noticed were not on his face. There they were, lying on the bottom of the stupid stairs. He picked them up and jabbed them back on. "Stupid. Bad, of course," he mumbled to himself.

"To prevent brain damage," Hermione explained, but full comprehension also eluded her.

"Weren't you supposed to be the Healer?" Harry asked.

"Yes," she crossed her arms, "but I'm still learning, too. But they do have the vial, so hopefully they can find an antidote."

"Can we go visit him tomorrow?" Harry asked quietly.

"Hm? Oh, sure," Hermione replied. "Here, let me get at your bruises-"

"They're fine, Hermione-"

"Episkey! Episkey! Epi-"

"Good Merlin, Hermione."

"Are you relatives of Mr. Malfoy?" The witch glared at them. She knew very well who she was talking to, and that they were no closer to being Draco's cousins than Celestina Warbeck was to a Grammy.

"My friend and I were the ones who brought him here," Hermione replied. "Look at the records."

"I don't see your names-"

"Right here," Hermione hissed and pointed, and the witch glared at her, but once she looked down her eyes nearly bugged out. "See?" Hermione asked triumphantly.

Harry rolled his eyes. And now Hermione knew more about the paperwork at St. Mungo's than, well, the welcoming witch.

"Ah, yes, of course," the witch replied disgruntled. "Clearly you know which room, as well?"

"Yes, we just thought we should register before going," Hermione smiled brightly. With that, she firmly grabbed Harry's arm and led him away. "Third Floor, Potions and Plant Poisoning...come on!"

"Great, we'll be in the papers tomorrow," Harry muttered, somewhat relieved to be in a place where the Mediwizards were too busy to stare at him.

"if she wishes to admit that she doesn't know how to do her own job, sure," Hermione replied huffily. "Besides, I have Rita Skeeter on watch."

"What?" Harry blinked. "You mean, you're censoring her?"

"No, I just made an agreement with her to leave us alone. At least, she's not getting anything," Hermione smirked mischievously. "Alright, it's this one."

She knocked on the door and waited a few seconds. Just before she could lift her arm once more, Harry rapped it himself impatiently.

"Excuse me, are you two here to see someone?" A Mediwitch asked politely and walked over, her mouth covered by a white sterile mask.

"Oh yes, Mr. Malfoy in Room 217," Hermione replied.

"He was moved to another room," the Mediwitch replied. "May I ask, are you his relatives?" she asked cautiously. Hermione and Harry looked at each other's brown skin and shook their heads firmly.

"No. But he's adopted," Hermione smiled, grabbing Harry's arm and tugging him closer. Her tone clearly referred not to the Dursleys, but to the family that they had formed over the years...Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Hannah. Everyone.

"I see," the Mediwitch replied. "Are you...acquaintances of him?"

"Yes. Classmates. Draco was staying over at my place for a while, but we found him...in the bathroom, unconscious, so we rushed him over," Harry spoke quietly, rubbing his glasses.

"Oh. Mr Malfoy is very lucky to have friends like you," the Mediwitch blinked.

"I suppose."

"Can you take us there?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," the Mediwitch replied. "Please follow me." With that, they brushed themselves off and tagged along.

"So what was the diagnosis?"

"Draught of Living Death," the Mediwitch replied simply.

"Oh," Harry replied.

"Many former Death Eaters who we admitted had a small vial of it," the Mediwitch muttered. "Just in case they needed to "kill" themselves. Then someone would wake them up when it was all over and bust them out of their graves. It's a very trite technique...apparently Muggles got wind of it and started calling them "dead dingers." Maybe you've heard of it."

Hermione and Harry just nodded. Harry knew she was resisting the urge to correct the witch and say it was "dead ringers."

"Not that Muggles didn't already know about it," the Mediwitch added. "You know, the tale of Sleeping Beauty was based around it when people were falling into comas but people had no idea why. Then they got a slight idea, and then that man Shakespeare added it as an element into one his plays..."

"I wonder why he didn't just use the Killing Curse," Hermione murmured.

"I still have his wand," Harry replied quietly.

"Oh, right," Hermione murmured.

"Let me just check with the other Mediwizards," the Mediwitch spoke, walking over. After a few seconds, she came back and nodded, pulling aside the curtain.

A lump in his throat, Harry approached the bed.

"Is he okay?" he asked. Draco looked deathly pale, but his face was utterly peaceful. His hands rested on his chest, and he lay on the pillow without making a sound.

"Yes. It seems as if he ingested more than just his vial...maybe some medicine or another poison, potentially. We're still trying to find out what it was, but he's stable in this condition for now."

"I see," Harry replied quietly. For a second, he wanted to reach out and touch the soft pale hair that covered Draco's closed eyes, but he stopped himself.

"Unfortunately, that's all the time we can afford for today. Visiting hours are soon going to be over," the Mediwitch spoke. "You can come see him tomorrow."

"Oh...okay," Hermione frowned. The Mediwitch nodded and made a secret sign to the other Mediwizards, who picked up their instruments and walked closer to the cot. "Are you sure? We only just arrived."

"Yes," the Mediwitch replied. "He'll be fine. Just fine."


	4. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise awaits Harry.

"So everything's going to be alright, then," Ginny muttered.

"Yup," Harry sighed, taking a deeper sip of his tea. "By the way, what happened...when I was out? I just remember waking up in the middle of the night."

"Well," Ginny set down her mug and scooched in her chair, "Hermione and Ron rushed Malfoy off to the hospital, and Luna and I carried you back to your bed."

"Oh, did you really? I should thank you, my true princes in shining armor," Harry grinned.

"Ha, ha, very funny. Actually, we just opted for Wingardium Leviosa," Ginny replied, crossing her arms.

Harry winced. "Well, thank you for not dropping me, I suppose." Ginny only grinned back in response.

"Harry, you are going to bed after this last cup, right?" Hannah crossed her arms. "Or are you using the bathroom after me?"

"You can go first, Hannah," Harry replied, looking up with surprise. Hannah usually kept herself and didn't get along with him that much - he usually attributed it to her not being impressed with him, but perhaps this was just how Hannah was.

"Alright," she replied, and turned to go to the bathroom. Ginny leaned in.

"She's calling you by your first name, huh?"

"I had no idea we were on first name basis," Harry replied, although it felt strange to use the term "we", even though Neville and Hannah had been living in Grimmauld Place long enough for him to acknowledge her presence several times. "I always thought Hannah didn't like me, or something like that."

"Hm, I think that's just how she is. Kinda like Hermione...we didn't click immediately, just kinda brushed by politely at first, but she can be nice sometimes," Ginny replied. "Still a bit more awkward around Luna than most other people, though, but Neville likes her well enough."

"Yeah, I guess," Harry replied, looking down at his coffee.

"Anything on your mind?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing," Harry lied, still going over the strange figments he'd created in his dream. For some reason, the thought of that vision of Malfoy touching his hair made his spine tingle every time.

"You aren't...having those nightmares again, are you?" Ginny asked concernedly.

"No, no," Harry shook his head, "but I did...um, have an unusual dream last night. Kept on thinking that you and Ron and Hermione and Luna were in there with me, but I knew I was sleeping by myself, and..."

"Ah," Ginny blinked. "Well, Ron and Hermione got home really late after taking Malfoy to the hospital, so they went pretty much straight to bed. Until you woke up Hermione and, I quote, gave her a heart attack that nearly "scared my hair straight.""

Harry grinned sheepishly.

"Luna and I were pretty tired, though, so we slept like rocks last night. And Neville and Hannah felt bad that they didn't come to check up on Draco, so Hannah offered for them to go and stay up checking up on Draco, so they left and then Ron and Hermione went to bed."

"Ah. So no one...came upstairs to my room?"

"Nope," Ginny replied. "Well, maybe Kreacher, to give you a good night kiss," she grinned.

"Oh, darn you," Harry replied, playfully waving his spoon at her.

"Hey, don't you dare hit my sister - you know she hits back!" Ron yelled.

"He knows!" Ginny hollered. Luna passed them, her wet hair wrapped up in a fluffy pink towel, and patted Ginny on the back as she brushed her teeth idly.

"So it definitely was a dream," Harry muttered, looking down at his coffee.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. "I'm just gonna, um, go brush my teeth now."

"Oh. Alright," Ginny replied, looking at him quizzically as he stood up and went to wash his mug. Having finished that, he then clambered upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. Hannah emerged a few seconds afterwards and walked past him wordlessly. He then entered the bathroom and reached for his toothbrush.

"Hey, Scarhead," a voice spoke. Harry said nothing and rummaged around in the right drawer, trying to find the tube of toothpaste among the various moisturizers, hair rollers, eye drops and hairpins. "Hey. Hey you," the voice continued, "you're not going to ignore me again, are you?"

Harry sighed. Ron had already given up on brushing his teeth in this bathroom, and from the look of it, so had Luna. The mirror that talked back at you was a little annoying, after all.

"Come on, you can't ignore me. Go on...I know you wanna talk to me. It's the truth, right? Say it is," Harry's reflection grinned at him. "Just ask me any question, and I'll know the answer. Here's one I know well; who's the fairest in the entire land? Go on. Ask me."

Harry said nothing. The first time he had used this bathroom and wondered why it had no toilet or shower, just a sink, his own reflection had hit on him while trying to brush his hair and he'd jumped a foot in the air.

"About time you got to suffer through it," Neville had remarked dryly, and Ron laughed sharply.

The girls didn't seem to mind it for the most part, however. Luna claimed that it was because the mirror contained a magical cretaure that was actually female, and therefore it favored them. She called it an "angel." Hermione had turned up her nose at this and called it a "phantom." Whatever it was, it simply annoyed the hell out of Harry.

"Just remember to never, ever, ever play Bloody Mary with it. It will transform into an angry woman wearing white, or something else of that nature, then jump out and scream at you," Hermione warned. "Then it'll like, try to drag you into its world and steal your face for itself, and then walk out wearing your skin...while you remain, forever trapped in the looking glass, trying to find someone to replace you."

"I have literally no desire to do that," Harry muttered.

"Oh, and by the way...if it starts offering you operatic voice lessons and wearing a white mask, smash it," Hermione advised. "Well, actually that might exacerbate it. Just call the Ministry of Magic." She frowned. "I don't know if it has a Permanent Sticking Charm, but if it does, whoever put one on it must have been pure unadulterated evil."

Ron was hence banned from singing in the bathroom and thus resorted to using the much further-away one.

"Come on. Ask me a question. Just one question, please. I'm so lonely!"

Hermione barged in and reached for her "petroleum jelly", as Ron called it, then started slathering some onto her cheeks. "Pay it no attention," she huffed, "it's just trying to manipulate you."

"Spoilsport," the reflection of Hermione whined.

"Is it the same creature replicating both of our reflections, or does it have a sister?" Harry did wonder.

"I do not know if has an assigned sex," Hermione replied, glaring at the mirror, "but perhaps you should ask it that question."

"I am whatever you prefer," the creature cooed, "but I am all, and none, at the same time."

"Wonderful," Hermione replied tiredly, squinting and looking at her reflection's chin. "Ugh. The humidity is so horrid...I can't believe just how dry it's been making me."

"Yes, but you still have a few pimples you should pop soon, girl," her reflection replied. Hermione dropped her jaw indignantly and stomped out.

"Such an easily offended creature," Harry's reflection muttered, propping its chin on its elbow.

"You know what, I think I've come up with a name for you," Harry muttered.

"Oh, really? Like what?" the mirror cooed.

"You're an Afterimage...I should write a letter to Newt Scamander about you," Harry replied. The reflection smiled at him, flattered. "Is it true that you can take up any form?"

"Any form I've ever copied, yes," the Afterimage smiled invitingly. "Why, is there a loved one you would like me to show you?"

At first, Sirius' face came to mind, but Harry clenched his toothbrush. No, Sirius would be too painful to look at. And all of the other Black family members...well, maybe Kreacher might like to see Regulus, but the rest of them seemed horrible.

"I don't know. Can you show me something embarrassing of Ron?"

"Gladly," the Afterimage replied, and suddenly it morphed into a redhead hacking and spitting toothpaste everywhere, only clad in salmon boxers. Harry snickered.

"Did you ever have an original appearance?" Harry asked.

"Why yes. I was once a beautiful young damsel...with apples in my cheeks, and long hair tied up with ribbons, and bonny blue eyes. But one day, this wicked, wicked witch..."

Hermione rapped at the door again and reappeared, reaching for her spot treatment acne medication. "No use fraternizing with it. It might as well be a Horcrux, there's no doubt that this is dark magic," she growled.

"Right," Harry muttered. "Just, uh, chatting. I promise I haven't given away any personal information."

"Yes, well, Ginny says her parents have a certain saying about not trusting things that seem to think on their own but hide their brains."

"Right, yeah," Harry muttered. Maybe at breakfast tomorrow, he'd bring it up to Ron and Neville and ask them if he could send a Ministry official to take a look at it. "I'll be out in a sec."

"If you don't come back, I'll come in here and drag you out forcefully," Hermione replied. "And don't you try to ensnare him in any of your traps," she shook a finger menacingly at the Afterimage. Her reflection did not respond, but stuck its tongue at her when she turned around to leave.

"Anyways," the Afterimage said in a bored tone, "any other requests?"

Normally Harry would have asked it to show him Ron again, but for some reason, Draco kept on surfacing in his mind.

"No. I'm good. Good night," Harry replied briskly, and left.

Finally clambering into his bed, Harry yawned and covered himself with the blanket. He was looking forward to a good night of sleep. He needed it.

Having closed his eyes, Harry then rolled over and nestled his face into the softer crevices of his pillow, only to find himself face to face with a blond-haired man.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

Harry sat up, screamed, and promptly fell off of the bed.


	5. Spectral Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people have skeletons in the closet. Now Harry has a ghost in his bed.

"What are you doing here?" Harry demanding, fumbling around for his wand and pointing it at the spectral vision in front of him.

"Hey - hey, wait, stop!" Draco commanded, waving his hands in front of him. "I-"

"Stupefy!" Harry cried.

The red light shot right through Draco's chest, bounced off the wall, and shot back at Harry, who barely ducked in time. Instead, it hit the lamp on the nightstand and broke it to pieces.

"I am...so sorry about your lamp," Draco stuttered.

Harry shook his head. "Draco Malfoy, why the fuck are you hovering around my bed like some...some _ghost?_"

"I-I-" The blond man swallowed. "Is that my name?"

"What the hell do you mean, is that your nam? Don't tell me you've...ooooh fuck," Harry gasped.

Draco blinked. "Is something wrong?"

Harry shook his head, swallowing and starting to pce around the room rapidly. "Oh, no. They said they put you in a coma...that can't possibly mean...are you some sort of ghost?"

Draco just stared at him.

"And why are you here? Out of all places? Shouldn't you be haunting, I don't know, the Malfoy Manor or Azkaban or some dark graveyard with sinister ambiance?"

Draco blinked.

"Oh, fuck it!" Harry glared, muttering a quick _Reparo_. "What are you doing here in my room on my bed, then?"

"Um..."

"Nothing to say, huh?"

Draco closed his mouth.

"I knew it," Harry turned around. "Now, I'll have to go call an exorcist...or Hermione...well, everyone just went to bed, they're not going to want to deal with this..."

"I can't move," Draco finished.

Harry turned around. "What?"

"I can't move from here. I can't walk away or anything. I don't know why, but I'm stuck to this spot."

Harry groaned.

"I'm not lying...watch," Draco sat up and took one step. Afterwards, his body seemed to be moving in slow motion through water, incapable of going any further. Harry shook his head. "I can't move a foot from here."

"This must be some sick joke," Harry shook his head. "What are you doing, so far away from your body? Did you have some message to relay to me?"

"I..." Draco blinked, looking confused. "Maybe? I don't remember...what happened to me exactly?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. My mind's really fuzzy and I still have no idea what happened."

Harry shook his head. "Then you are not ready. Stay there - I'll go fetch Hermione."

* * *

"You really can't catch a break," Ron gaped.

"I don't want to hear that from you," Harry muttered darkly. Ron rolled his eyes and smacked his shoulder lightly. Hermione shook her head.

"You're telling me that the same Draco Malfoy who may have attempted suicide and is now in a medically induced coma just showed up on your bed."

"Yes."

Hermione closed her mouth. "Well that is just...hmmmmh..."

"Wait, why the 'hmmh'?"

"Why is he haunting your bedside specifically? Did he have...unfinished business to do there?"

Harry felt his face go up in flames.

"Hermione, no," he shook his head vigorously. "No no no no no-"

Ron stared at his girlfriend for a full ten seconds, his expression unmoving and horrified from inside out, asking _What other terrible people are you going to accuse my best mate of hooking up with? Umbridge?_

"I'm sorry, you know I act like a drunk when I'm sleepy," Hermione yawned apathetically.

"No, you don't. Drunk Hermione patronizingly explained to me the Periodical Table of Elephants and some crazy Arithmancy rune over nine times last week."

"Well clearly I should have explained it again. It's the Table of Elements, Ronald," Hermione replied, crossing her arms and cocking her head.

"Ok, besides that point," Harry cleared his throat, "why is Malfoy's ghost haunting me and what does this mean regarding his physical body? Did...did St. Mungo's kill him?"

Rom just raised an eyebrow calmly, but Hermione looked a litte disturbed. "That Mediwitch was kind of suspicious. Maybe we should investigate what's going on..."

"Yes. At any rate, do either of you have any idea for what to do with the friendly ghost on my bed?"

"Ooh, there's a ghost on Harry's bed? Is it Cho Chang's?" Giny stuck her head through the doorway.

"We're pretty sure it isn't...and thanks, but that was unnecessary, _Ginevra_," Harry stuck out his tongue. She smirked and stuck hers right back out at him.

"Oh, ghost problems? I can take care of that," Luna piped up. She looked a little tired, but her heart beet charm jewelry was cute.

"Can you? Could you, please?" Harry begged as Hermione sighed doubtfully and rubbed her temples.

"Mhm. I'll go fetch my materials," Luna declared, and ran off.

Neville walked in and groaned. "So, what's going on? You all look very conspiratorial."

"Neville!" Harry and Hermione exclaimed.

"Just got back from the hospital...Hannah's tired so she's napping on the couch with Crookshanks. Er, well, she had to relinquish some pillow to him, but that's outside of the point...Healers said Malfoy is doing fine, planning on injecting some new fancy serum to counteract the Draught-"

"Oh. Maybe that serum is like, lethal stuff we should um, totally prevent because Malfoy's death would be unfortunate," Ron spoke woodenly.

Neville blunked. "Blimey...really? They walked me through the ingredients and they seemed alright, but then again, it was more of Potions thing and less Herbology..."

"No time to lose. You Floo to St. Mungo's and demand that they explain it to you again - if Draco's still not completely dead, maybe it's more of a side effect from strange treatment...I've heard of these before. Us Muggles call them astral projections," Hermione explained. "Parts of the soul or spirit or consciousness, whatever, leave the body."

"You believe in that?" Ron asked, incredulous. "And you still hate Divination?"

"I believe there is a deeper explanation to it that we're not seeing, that's all." Hermione rolled her eyes, shoving Neville into the fireplace. "Now go, go, go!"

"Oh. No, really, it's fine...take your time," Ron mumbled apathetically.

"Not keen on him, huh?" Harry asked.

"Not as much as you, Mr. So-Called Undesirable Number One."

"What?"

"Don't you have a muggle saying about politics and strange bedfellows?" Ron turned to Hermione.

"We do, but that's not the point," she replied, rolling up her sleeves. "Now come on, we have a ghost to exterminate. Or rather, prevent the extermination thereof, actually...Whatever, I'm tired."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REVIEWWWWWWWWW BEYOTCHES I'M DEPRESSED AND NEED VALIDATION


	6. Hallucinations of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe it's all in his head.   
Why can't anyone else see the ghost of his nemesis at his bedside?

Harry sighed and sat down while Hermione poked and prodded at the bed.

"What is she doing?" Draco hissed. Fortunately for Harry, he was still stuck far away so he wouldn't be able to talk to him face to face. Unfortunately, nobody else seemed to be able to be having the same hallucination.

"And you're saying he's right here, like right in front of me?" Hermione asked, whipping around.

"Yes," Harry replied crossly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "How come only you can see him?"

"Gee, I don't know."

"Now's not the time to be snarky." After living in Grimmauld Place for a while, Hermione had gotten a little better and speaking up against him whenever he went into one of those moods.

"I'm sorry," Harry grunted, "Habit. I'll ask him later so you don't have to watch me talk to thin air like a crazy man." Draco yelled obscene words in protest as if being more vulgar would prove his existence.

"Harry, we believe you, I'm just curious about this. So...your bed doesn't appear to have any curses or charms on it, not even one for enhanced somniferous effects."

"So if Malfoy's spirit is floating around there, is it possible we can find some way to trap it in a lamp and make him fulfill all our wishes?" Ron asked. "Not that I'm serious about doing that or anything."

Draco sent Ron glances that all spelled death in various nonverbal foreign languages. Harry laughed awkwardly then coughed.

"Well, I guess there's absolutely no way for us to sense or otherwise interact with him," Hermione shrugged. "Let me try a few spells."

"What is she doing?" Draco demanded, looking alarmed. "And why are you sitting all the way over there? Come back here!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're certainly not acting like a man who wanted to sleep for the rest of eternity. What makes you so lively now?"

"Look, I don't know!" Draco replied with frustration written all over his voice. "What are you even talking about?"

Harry stared at him for a few seconds.

"Hermione, I think he's talking to me and saying he doesn't even remember what happened," Harry spoke, as Ron and Hermione stared at him expectantly.

"He doesn't? Did he lose his memory to brain damage? Goodness, what did those Healers do to him?" Hermione frowned.

Just then, Neville threw open the door and burst into the room excitedly, causing everyone to flinch. "I got the Healers to hold off on whatever it was they were going to do!" He panted. "I went in and remembered an old favor that McGonagall promised me so I went to fetch it and waved it around a bit, and that got attention, so finally they listened-"

"Neville, you did not just wave the Sword of Gryffindor among a herd of Healers?" Hermione demanded, still recovering from his sudden entrance. Harry also took a deep breath - he still never quite got over loud noises or people suddenly Apparating into rooms.

"Well, they were being very fussy about following protocol and all that," Neville replied, "I mighta given some a few heart attacks...anyway, what's up with the bed?" He asked.

"We think Draco's "astral projection" might either be a hallucination or just visible to Harry," Ron replied curtly. Harry lightly smacked him upside the head.

"Well," Hermione said, "I think this calls for a dream catcher. I know a cultural appropriation-y shop that sells "spiritual" items. Or was it where Madam Trelawney made us buy crystal balls? Don't know, don't care." With that, she stood up in a huff and walked out, her frizzy hair now erupting into an untameable bush. Neville raised an eyebrow and walked over to Harry's bed. Draco shifted uncomfortably on it.

"Is he really on here?" Neville asked, as if he thought Draco was lying peacefully in Sleeping Beauty position.

"Yes," Harry replied uncomfortably.

"I see," Neville replied, then turned around and walked out. "I should go talk to Hannah. She wanted to talk about something."

"Understood," Harry replied. "See you." A pause.

"Um, Neville?" Ron asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah?"

"Remember...our talk about loud noises..."

Neville's hand flew to his mouth. "Oh Merlin! I forgot...oh dear...can you forgive me? I...I didn't..."

"It's okay," Ron replied reassuringly. "Just, for future reference."

Harry smiled at him gratefully.

Eventually, Neville left (after a few minutes of apologizing) and Ron too excused himself, not wanting to be in the same room as Malfoy's astral projection (to which Draco frowned and sneered at him right back, with Harry rolling his eyes).

Once it was just the two of them, Draco took a deep breath and exhaled loudly even though technically he probably didn't even need oyxgen. "They're gone," he hissed. "Finally."

"Yes," Harry replied dully.

"Will you come over here now?"

"No," Harry replied.

Draco frowned. He patted the place where a pillow laid. "Now," he demanded, sounding like a regular spoiled only child.

"Why should I?" Harry taunted him. "Not like you can make me, you know." He secretly relished the power of being able to say no.

"Because," Draco scowled, "I hate sitting on this thing by myself. Get out of that stupid chair and get over here so we can talk properly!"

"Hm, I don't feel like it," Harry replied, closing his eyes and crossing his legs idly. He could almost have sworn Draco bit his lip and balled up his hands into fists. Ha. "We can talk later."

"Really?"

"No," Harry replied in a singsong voice. Draco frowned again. Harry almost wanted to laugh at his face, but maybe that'd be mean. Well, not as mean as the stuff he'd been put through himself. Ha, ha. "I think maybe I shall find an entirely different place to sleep, if you don't mind."

"No, don't! You can't leave me behind in here, I'll go crazy!"

"Oh? You'll go crazy? How unfortunate," Harry replied with mocking false-pity.

"Please."

Harry blinked.

The blond man said nothing, just stared at him and scrunched up his eyes as if attempting very hard some kind of nonverbal persuasion magic. Harry stared right back at those very same grey eyes that had challenged him for years and years, almost hearing "Scared, Potter?" as clearly as if it were yesterday.

Draco's face remained unchanged. No gruff denials or convoluted excuses.

"Please?"

Harry flinched. Draco grinned at his reaction.

"You will come over, right? Surely that poor excuse for a chair chair can't be very comfortable," he added, "it looks like something built from a pile of wood scraps by an uneducated peasant."

Harry raised an eyebrow. Now that was the Draco he knew, haughty and demanding. He sighed.

One last try.

"You really want me to?"

"Yes. Now...please."

That word again.

Without thinking, Harry found himself standing up and walking over to the bed, then slowly sitting down on it. The blond man grinned, as if he'd gotten what he wanted. However, Harry had more to talk about.

"So, you really don't remember how you got here or what happened to you, huh? Or even who you are?"

Draco frowned. "I have surmised that my first name must be Draco, thanks." He bit his lip. "And it appears the bushy-haired woman and the ginger aren't terribly fond of me."

"What? No way, they're like, your best friends of all time! You're one of Ron's favorite people in the world, even. Among his top ten - top five, definitely," Harry replied enthusiastically.

Draco frowned. "You're very...sarcastic," he harrumphed.

Harry snorted. "So I've been told. Hermione says it's a defense mechanism or something else like that."

"A what?"

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know what that means," Harry chuckled darkly.

This did not appear to faze Draco, as he had other plans on my mind. "How about we talk about something else?" He asked, reaching up and touching a lock of messy dark hair.

"Hm, let's put down a 'no touching' rule for now," Harry drawled.

"What?"

"Well, I'm not sure it's something you really want to do," Harry replied. Oh yeah and also there's a whole bunch of other reasons but haha now's not a good time to explain.

"What? Why not?" The blond man frowned, leaning in closer. Harry watched as their noses got closer, closer, and closer, until they were just centimeters apart. "Isn't this normal?"

Harry laughed mirthfully and stood up. "Well, good talking to you Draco, and I must admit I am impressed by your acting skills, but I have to go."

The blond man frowned at the sudden loss of proximity. "What are you saying? I'm not acting-"

SHarry laughed again, even more darkly. "Well, there's no other explanation, is there?"

"I don't understand. What are you trying to-"

"I'll see you later. I need to go nap on the couch," Harry sniffed. "Maybe if I feel better, I might send up Kreacher to clean this room so you can have some company. Or maybe not. Later."

"You're not making any sense, come b-"

Harry shook his head and forced himself to walk away, keeping his back to the bed.

"I'm not lying! I swear, I do remember some stuff, but I seriously don't know what's going on! Come back now!" Draco yelled. "Or I'll tell...I'll...my..."

With a firm thud, Harry shut the door behind him, and Draco's confused words silenced themselves completely. Harry hissed a quick Sticking Charm to keep the door shut and collapsed against it, breathing heavily.


End file.
